Never Alone
by Fuyumi
Summary: After a difficult fifth year, Harry cannot help but feel that he is all alone in a world that expects him to save it.


**Never Alone**   
**disclaimer:** I don't own HP or any of these characters. That belongs to JKR, Scholastic Books, Warner Brothers, etc. This is just something to pass the time while waiting for the next book. Ironically enough, this scene is set after the events of the fifth book—I just sort of presume bad things happen. 

A single tear crystallizes, paving the way for more. And once the road is set, so easy is the fall. 

It's so hard to stop such a downfall, especially when one feels so unworthy. When one feels that the world would be better off without you. It gets even worse when you feel so worthless, yet everyone places their hopes and dreams upon your shoulders, expecting you to be able to let the light shine through to end the night. You can't turn to anyone—to even admit to fear would be to let everyone down. So when you finally face the darkness that everyone expects you to face, you do so alone. There's nothing worse than being so totally alone. And so he sat, watching his tears falls, unable to do a thing as always. 

"Harry?" Hermione's voice drifted through his haze of tears, but he did not acknowledge her. "What's wrong?" 

Hermione had come outside as tonight the common room had just seemed to be too stifling. She had not expected to find her best friend crying, but given all the latest events, she could not say that she was surprised. Looking at him, her heart broke. It was distressing to watch him as he just let the tears run down his cheeks without sobbing, as if he did not have the strength to do anything more than allow his tears to fall. She sat down beside him. 

"Please don't cry like that. I know it's hard to believe, but somehow, everything will work out." 

"Can you promise me that?" he asked, looking up at her. "After everything that's already happened, and everything that is still to come, I really don't think you can." 

"Promises aren't needed when you know what will happen. And whatever happens, I know we'll be together. Isn't that enough?" 

"But we're not together, not even now. Everyone, and I do mean every single person I know, expects things out of me that I know I can't do. Yet, the last thing I want to see is someone else get hurt—and so I'm always alone. Alone when I face him and I'm still alone now even though you're with me. Because no one is ever truly with me." 

"You're wrong." She took his hand, then looked him in the eye. "You're not alone. Even when we're far apart, we're still linked. No matter where you are, my thoughts are always with you. My thoughts and also my . . ." 

"Hopes and dreams and I don't really want to hear this." He abruptly pulled his hand out of her grasp and angrily turned away. "I wish someone would understand that I can't stand having everyone count on me like this, to hope that I'll save them and the entire world. I don't want your hopes pinned on me." 

"My faith is always with you. That no matter what happens, in the end, if we're all together, that will be enough." He turned to look at her in surprise. "And we'll always be together and so it will be enough. Sometimes you won't believe it, sometimes you won't want to believe it, in spite of all that, I'll always be with you, cheering you on, even when you doubt yourself." 

With that, she took his hand once more. "And I don't care if you doubt me, because I know that it's hard. It's hard to believe that everything will work out, especially when you're in the middle of all the things that are happening. I know I've had doubts myself—during the tournament last year, whenever you're playing that silly sport or doing anything so dangerous that only you would foolish enough try to do it. It's worked out then and it will work out again. I don't even need to say these words, because it would still work out. The road has already been set and once the road is set. . ." 

"So easy is the fall." 

She smiled up at him. "That's right. So easy is the fall—in to life, in to trust, in to grace, and in to faith. I'll always believe in you, that you'll be able to make it through for yourself. That's enough for me. But if you don't mind me asking, could I have a promise?" 

"Promise what?" 

"That you'll never forget that I'm always with you. That you're not alone, because even though we're far apart, even if you can't see me, we're still linked. By what, I don't know, but it's there and it's enough and you're not alone. And neither am I." 

"I won't forget," he said. Suddenly, he smiled, the first true smile she had seen out of him for a while. "At least, not until the next Obliviate." 

Impulsively, she hugged him. "You won't forget. No matter what happens, somewhere deep down inside you, there'll be a Harry that knows that I'm with you and . . ." 

"I'm never alone." 

~_finis_~ 

**Author's note**—It seems like editing AT + listening to a M.S. song = new HP fanfic. Oh well, I'm not complaining. In any case, inspiration for this one came from Maaya Sakamoto's Yubiwa, specifically the lines, _wasurenai de_/_hitori ja nai_/_hanarete mo te o tsunaide iru_. Or in English, "Please don't ever forget/you are not alone/even when we're apart, our hands are still linked." If you'd like the full lyrics, click http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/esca/yubiwa.htm. Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review.   



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